Joy and Sorrow
by DragonQuillZ
Summary: A moment between friends we've never before witnessed. Two girls learn about the ups and downs of  friendships.


**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. Never have, never will.**

**AN: This is my response to a-trip-to-honeydukes's Best Friends Competition. My characters were Lily Evans and Hestia Jones. Enjoy!**

**Joy and Sorrow**

Lily Evans stormed into the fifth year girls' dormitory and slammed the door shut. Angry tears blurred her vision as she threw herself onto her bed. She groaned in frustration as the tears kept coming and she couldn't hold back the choked sobs that escaped her throat as memories of that afternoon kept circulating in her mind.

_Stupid Potter! Stupid Black! Why do they always have to be such prats? _She sniffled sorrowfully and rolled onto her back as another depressing thought occurred. _Severus... How could you?_

The sound of someone clearing their throat suddenly jolted Lily out of her reverie. She sat up and turned in the direction of the sound. Sitting on the bed opposite her was her friend and dorm-mate Hestia Jones. Hestia closed her Charms book and raised her eyebrow at Lily. Lily wiped her eyes and muttered an apology for disturbing her reading. "Nonsense!" Hestia replied as she got up to join Lily on her bed. She summoned a box of tissues and handed them to her.

"So," she began tentatively, "What did they do now?"

Lily paused from dabbing her eyes to look at her friend. "To whom do you refer?"

Hestia rolled her eyes, "It's obvious. No one else lacks the mental capacities to cause you such distress. Which one was it this time, Potter or Snape?"

Lily sighed, "Both of them actually. It was horrible."

Both of Hestia's eyebrows rose at that comment. The feud between James Potter and Severus Snape was infamous amongst everyone in their year. The only one's who seemed able to break up their spats were the Headmaster, Professor McGonagall and Lily. Lily was usually upset after having to get involved in their fights but never had she seen her this upset. Hestia put her hand on Lily's back, "Do you want to talk about it?"

Lily's emerald eyes were still glistening with angry tears as she turned to face her friend. "I don't know what's wrong with them! Why can't they just be civil or pretend the other doesn't exist if they can't be. Everyone else seems to be able to manage that, why can't they?"

Hestia nodded as she continued, "And they can't keep blaming it on the whole Gryffindor/Slytherin feud, that's what they always tell me. This ridiculous feud goes well beyond that and I really didn't want to get involved but I was just so sick of it. And it started out of nothing! Absolutely nothing! One minute Severus was walking past and the next Potter and Black were there and Severus was upside down!"

Hestia's eyes widened in shock. It sounded like things were really getting out of hand. She rubbed Lily's back as the girl blew her nose before she continued.

"It was awful what they were doing to him. I couldn't just stand by and watch." Lily sniffed and looked away for a moment. "No matter how strange Severus had been acting lately, he's still my friend. I got up and started yelling at Potter and Black and then," she paused, looking away again, "Severus...He, I, He-"

"What did he do?" It was clear to Hestia that Lily was trying to get this out of her system but was having difficulties.

Lily took another tissue as the tears threatened to spill again.

"He called me a Mudblood," she said in a small voice.

Hestia gasped and her hands flew to her mouth. She couldn't believe it. Lily Evans, the girl who went out of her way to continue being friends with Severus Snape despite them being sorted into enemy Houses, had just been insulted by her oldest friend. She couldn't believe he could be so horribly cruel to the girl who ignored all social convention just so she wouldn't renounce their friendship. The same thoughts were currently going through Lily's head as she stared at the floor, her brilliant green eyes looking dull and lifeless.

Hestia hated seeing her friend looking so miserable. As much as she wanted to grab her wand, race through the halls of Hogwarts and hex the bollocks off of Severus Snape, she knew what Lily needed was to hear some words of comfort. She knew she would never understand the dynamics of Lily's friendship with Snape but she could tell that Lily was not prepared to just completely write him off.

Hestia sighed. "Lily," she began, "I'm not entirely sure what to say to you." Lily looked up and opened her mouth to say something but Hestia cut her off. "Look, I may not know Snape very well, actually I don't know him at all, and I don't have plans to get to know him, wait!" she said as Lily made to say something. "What I'm trying to say is that all I know is that he's your friend and because of that, I don't think he meant it." Lily looked at her doubtfully. "I know what he said was terrible and it can't be forgotten easily but I know you Lily and I can tell you want to forgive him. It may take some time but a friendship like yours can't be so easily tossed aside over a word that I know had no meaning behind it. The thing with any sort of relationship is that there are ups and downs to them all and after all it is said that friendship is: our greatest joy and our greatest sorrow. For without our most treasured friends our world is so often filled with sad tomorrows."

Lily smiled as her friend finished her speech. "I think you've been spending too much time with Dumbledore. That sounds like something he would say." Hestia laughed and drew her friend into a hug. "Who knows, maybe he did say that and when has he ever been wrong?" Lily laughed softly and let go to wipe the remaining tears from her eyes. Hestia was glad to see the sparkles of life flashing in them again and Lily was glad to have a friend who could understand her like this. And for that, they were both grateful.

END.

**AN: This could be canon for all we know. Not much is known about Hestia so I pretty much had free reign with her. Hope you enjoyed this friendship oneshot! :)**

**~DQ**


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